Fiat Chrysler to recall 1.06 million trucks over steering glitch

Reuters Staff

2 Min Read

A new Fiat Chrysler Automobiles sign is pictured after being unveiled at Chrysler Group World Headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan May 6, 2014. REUTERS/Rebecca Cook

(Reuters) - FCA US LLC, a unit of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV, is recalling about 1.06 million of its Ram trucks in the United States to fix a steering wheel defect that may cause an air-bag to deploy inadvertently.

The company said an internal investigation discovered that these trucks may have steering-wheel wiring harnesses that wear because of contact with a spring.

Such wear may cause a short-circuit that may result in the inadvertent deployment of the driver-side air-bag. (bit.ly/1MdJAyl)

The company said it was aware of two injuries due to wiring harnesses wear, but no accidents.

FCA US also said an additional 156,498 heavy-duty trucks were being recalled as they were supplied with steering components that may have welds with insufficient fusion. This may cause separation and lead to diminished steering response.

The company said it was aware of a single minor accident in the United States related to the condition of bracket welds, but was unaware of any injuries.

As well, about 188,000 vehicles are being recalled to make their side-curtain air-bags compliant with a federal regulation to reduce the risk of rear occupant ejection during a rollover.

The company is also recalling 323,183 trucks in Canada, Mexico and outside the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) region to fix wiring harnesses and bracket welds.

(This story has been corrected to add ‘million’ in headline)

Reporting by Ankit Ajmera in Bengaluru; Editing by Don Sebastian and Saumyadeb Chakrabarty